The Orbis bucked, its movements becoming jagged and raw. Stripped of its AI assistance, Sanjuro was flying on pure instinct. He sidestepped a kinetic blast that vaporized a nearby skyscraper, pivoted on a rusted hydraulic joint, and leveled his pulse rifle at the obsidian giant’s core. One shot. One chance.

The hydraulic hiss of Sanjuro Makabe’s Orbis G-3 echoed through the desolate canyons of Acheron. Every pilot in the knew the risks of deep-recon missions, but today the air felt heavy—static clinging to the hull like a physical weight.

Sanjuro gripped the flight sticks. "I see it, Admiral. But it’s not just a spike. It looks like a localized tear."